The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1887-01-13

have read q good deal about the
damage done in late years By chineh
bugs army worms. curculio. b0res and
other insects 100 numerous 70 men,
tion;" but few Of the writers seem 20
think or be conscious Of the real reason
for the Increasing number and harmful
ness Of these pests But we do not have
70 20 far % find the reason. and Il is
found IN the widespread and outrageous
destruction Of our birds Think Of the
enormous number Of small birds re-
uuired 10 deck ladies' hats nowadays;
and Of the ruined crops Of hundreds Of
farmers and fruit growers in the United
States, and ask II the latter is NOS the
result Of the former. Of course it Il; no
one viii or can dispute L. What Is to
be doneP Something; and no time
should be lost in doing L. The Ameri-
can Humane Society Is. ] think. doing
q good work in this direction. and
would in time blot out The bird-killing
business, especially as an adjunct 10 the
millinery trade Of the country; but il
cannot work q reform soon enough TO
satisfy the pressing necessities Of the
agricultural Interests We must appeal
70 law TO stop this indirect Matching and
raising Of myriads Of insects 10 destroy
the crops Of the farmer, fruit grower
and market gardener.
do not think a law against catching
birds would do much good, for il would
not be enforced; but think law pro-
hibiting milliners, both wholesale and
retail. from handling these gbOstly orna-
ments would have the desired effect and
with such a law we might. In time. have
cur birds as plentiful and useful as they
were a few years ago. before this bloody
war on them began.
But small birds are not the only in
sect eaters that are being exterminated
for frivolous purposes The prairie
chickens are falling by the thousand by
the ruthless hand Of the market shooter
that vile blot upon the human race;
cruel as = fiend; grasping as 3 miser;
lazy as a sloth; brainless IS an idiot and
for harmfulness ranking next to the
devil himself. Why allow this lOW-lived
specimen Of humanity TO ply his das-
tardly and destructive work under the
very nose Of the farmer he is injuring?
Why not send him to the pOOrhouse.
asylum or penitentiary. where be could
be kept with mucn less expense to the
farmers, who are now supporting him?
But here is a point that puzzles me.
Is Il the shot, the blood, the broken
bones. or the feathers, that makes prai-
RE chicken meat such a delicacyP IL
tame fowl were brought on the table in
the condition in which the prairie
chicken is usually served, it would be
considered entirely unfit 70 eat; so
don't think the epicurean public would
lose much II prairie chicken shooting
should be prohibited by law the year
round, for at least five years. and longer
If the birds we're not plentiful enough at
the end Of that time / think there
would be little or no objection to such
q law. Every sportsman in the United
States would like II, and Of course every
farmer would commend il; even the
market shooter would endorse il If he
had brains enough to comprehend its
advantages, for now he can hardly earn
fifty cents a day, owing to the scarcity
Of game, while five years Of this law
would be likely to leave a flock Of the
birds on every ten-acre lot Don't say
iuGl HOulu III lule lu6 Glule AAeuf surely
no candid person can think that From
April 1st to July 10Th there is no grain
for them TO get, 50 during that time
they are waging \ war Of eXtermina-
ton upon a great many kinds Of harm
ful insects. and when the grain does
come they still prefer insects for the
most Of their food. and only pick little
grain to season the insects that, but for
them, would do more damage on an
acre than the birds would do on ten.
Then the grain is harvested inside of
two weeks after il becomes eatable for
them. when they have TO fall back on
insects again.
Now here is a chance for some law
maker 10 cover himself all over with
glory. Who will come TO the front and
save the farmers crops from the ravages
Of insects. and the birds from the merci-
less hunter?-J Il. McBrOOn. ia Farm,
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